


The Girl In The Ticket Booth

by iloveromance



Category: Heaven Help Us (1985)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:00:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 9,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: Obsessed with the opposite sex for as long as he can remember, Williams takes pride in owning his own theater which allows him unlimited access to women; none of whom he actually cares about. But a new employee just may change his mind.





	1. Chapter 1

1968

Williams couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Wearing only a smile, she moved gracefully before him, as the familiar feeling consumed him once more.

She was truly the most perfect human being he'd ever encountered.

Too bad she was only an image on a movie screen.

He sighed as the film reel reached the end and flapped rapidly on the projector, bringing the show to a close.

The applause was scattered, but enthusiastic. When he peered through the glass window that overlooked the tiny theatre, he could see the men chatting amongst themselves about what they'd just seen.

The smiles on their faces told him that they were satisfied and perfectly happy to return home to their wives.

Of course, doing so would mean devising an array of lies as to where they'd really been; a required union workers meeting, drinks with the boys, or the ever popular visit to their ailing mothers.

Most wives would never question their husband's motives, opting instead to kiss them goodbye as they shuffled off to work.

And when the husbands returned late that night, they were only too happy to show their wives how much they missed them; preferably in the bedroom.

Williams smiled in spite of himself. His customers were satisfied and he was satisfied... in more ways than one.

He was living the life of which he'd always dreamed... watching beautiful women who smiled at him as though he was the most desirable man in the world.

Men loved him for what he provided; a reprieve from their wives who insisted on nagging their better halves day in and day out.

No wonder his business was so successful.

When he left St Basil, Williams had no idea what was in store for him. He was never a good student and got into trouble for the smallest incident. But it was the mischievous times that he remembered most.

He'd never become a priest like Dunn, a psychiatrist like Caesar or a screw up like Rooney.

He had only one ambition in life and that was to meet as many women as possible... and sleep with even more.

Few things mattered more to him than the opposite sex. Without women, what other reason was there for living?

A world without the most exquisite of God's creations would be...

Unable to finish the thought in his mind, he shuddered.

"Hey Williams! You gonna sit up there all day? I got people out here waitin' for the next show to start!"

His thoughts interrupted, Williams turned to find Arnold, his ticket taker, glaring at him.

"All right, just keep your shirt on! I'll take care of it!" Williams grumbled.

Damn him! Can't a guy be left along with his thoughts for even a few minutes? Even if they were impure thoughts.

Father Abruzzi was so wrong...

Lust wasn't a sin...

It was a way of life.


	2. Chapter 2

"WILLIAMS!"

Angrily Williams walked out of the projection booth and slammed the door, hating the sound of his own name.

Who in the hell did Arnold think he was?

After all, the Back Alley Theatre was his theatre, not Arnold's!

When he ran down the narrow stairway and opened the door, he cringed when he saw the long line of patrons that had formed on the sidewalk.

The scene was a chaotic one; men pushing their way to the front of the crowd, eager to grab the best seats for what were sure to be the highlights of their day.

"About time you showed up!" Arnold yelled when Williams appeared at the door. "These guys are practically running over me trying to get in!"

"Where's Fred?" Williams asked.

"Quit."

Williams cursed under his breath. "What the hell for?"

Arnold shrugged. "Beats me. I guess he couldn't take the pressure."

Williams pounded his fist forcefully against the wall, ignoring the pain that followed.

"Son of a... What in the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Look, I'm just the ticket taker and-."

Williams slammed a roll of tickets into Arnold's hand.

"Yeah? Well now you're the ticket seller, so get in there! And don't come out until every one of those men has a ticket in their hand!"

He forcefully shoved Arnold into the booth and closed the door, crossing his arms in front of him in satisfaction.

"Come on Williams!"

As he listened to Arnold banging on the window, Williams leaned against the door and sighed; his chest heavy with anxiety.

Without a ticket seller, the customers would take their business elsewhere. It was the late 1960's and the Back Alley Theatre had plenty of competition; most notably the Peek A Boob theatre in Times Square.

It was the greatest job in the world; especially for a kid who'd barely managed to graduate from St. Basil's. It was perfect for a boy whose only goal in life was losing his virginity as quickly as possible.

For then he'd become a man.

Fortunately he didn't have to wait long for his boyhood dream to come true.

As it turned out, he was so aroused after screening his very first film (New York Naughtiness-a film he'd seen countless times since) that mere seconds after his shift as a projectionist was over, he'd dashed out of the theatre and headed for the nearest strip club.

It was at Broadway Babes that he met Lana...

She was wild, exotic and sexy as hell. As she danced in on the stage, just inches in front of him (and wearing next to nothing), he realized just what he'd been missing.

The girls at the Virgin Martyr Girls Academy were mere children compared to Lana.

He watched her with a desire that was so intense; it made the feelings he'd experienced at St. Basil's pale in comparison.

But Lana was no catholic school girl... She was a woman.


	3. Chapter 3

All too soon, the show was over and the house lights came on; causing the seductively sinful atmosphere to vanish completely.

In its place were scads of older men, reaching for their wallets in order to give their favorite dancer just one last tip... and hopefully receive a phone number in return.

Although it shouldn't have bothered him, Williams cringed when he realized that every other male in the club was at least twice his age.

And judging from the looks that they gave him, he was definitely in the wrong place.

"Have a good time, Kid?" One of them called.

"Yeah! It was incredible!" he shouted, embarrassed when his voice came out in a squeak.

The men laughed hysterically, causing Williams' face to turn a bright shade of red. Jesus, after the things he'd seen, he didn't think anything could cause him to blush.

"Go to hell, Derek!" Lana snapped. "I don't choose just any man to go home with, ya know! This is a good lookin' kid!"

Williams couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was agreeing to let him take her home! This was the greatest gift he could ever receive!

"What's your name, Tiger?"

It took him a moment to realize that she was talking to him.

"Who me?"

Lana laughed; a low, throaty laugh that increased his desire for her. It was a feat that he didn't think was possible.

"Of course I'm talking to you!"

He giggled nervously; vaguely aware of the amused glances of the cleaning crew who were sweeping up the confetti and glitter that was strewn across the floor.

"So? You gonna tell me your name or do I have to drag it out of you?"

The carefully worded threat made the heat in his body to rise to dangerous levels.

"Um... Well... My name is... Um... Williams." He said.

"Williams, huh?"

"Yes ma'am."

The men chuckled, and he could hear a few comments about how she was robbing the cradle. But he got the feeling that she could teach him plenty of things.

She looked him up and down, nodding with approval. "How old are you?"

"O-old enough." He replied with a burst of fake confidence.

"That's what I like to hear!" She said. "So are you ready to go? I was thinking your place because... Well... my place is so inconvenient."

With a dreamy look in his eyes, he nodded, barely able to remember what her name was.

And that night and early the next morning... in the darkness of his tiny room...

He became a man.


	4. Chapter 4

"God damn it, Williams!"

Williams woke with a start to find himself face to face with Arnold, who wore a look of pure rage.

"What's the big idea, sleepin' when there's a packed house down there, waitin' to see some action?" He barked. "I mean, if they're not gettin' any at home-."

"All right, all right! Just calm down!" Williams yelled. "I'll take care of it!"

He opened the door of the projection room and headed down to the theatre, where he was stunned to find it packed beyond belief. Every seat was taken and anxious men were now pouring into the aisles.

"We want dames!" chanted one, prompting the others to join in. Soon the entire theatre was filled with the deafening chants from men who wanted to quench their desire for perfect women with porcelain skin.

Williams pushed his way through the crowd and stood at the foot of the screen, trying to get the eager men's attention. He tried waving his arm but the commotion went on.

To his horror, the chatter turned to boos and hisses, prompting some to rise from their seats and head for the exit.

"Wait!" Williams called "Arnold! Stop them!"

But the men's anger continued...

"This is crap!"

"We want our money back!"

"The Peephole in Queens has much better service and better-lookin' dames!"

Out of desperation, Williams reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Carefully he unfolded it, taking one last glance at the model who wore only a scarf around her neck. When he'd found the picture in the winter issue of Men's Magazine, just a glimpse sent his hormones into overdrive.

She was no more than nineteen, but he was certain that she was experienced.

And he wanted nothing more than to learn all he could from her.

But, as usual, she was just a picture...

Women like her were hard to come by.

Suddenly, Williams was painfully aware of the reaction he was having. And judging from the looks of the patrons who eyed him with angry stares, they could clearly see how the model was affecting him...physically anyway.

With shaking hands, he held up the picture to face them which immediately brought cheers, whistles and lustful glances from his audience.

"I'm sorry for the delay but thank you for coming!" Williams yelled, with a renewed sense of self-assurance.

"The show will start in just a few moments." He continued, trying to be heard above the commotion.

"I promise that what you are about to see will more than compensate for the inconvenience!"

His apology brought a round of enthusiastic applause and he sighed with relief.

Anxious in more ways than one to get the show started, he ran to the projection booth and quickly sorted through the reels of film until he found what he was looking for.

When he read the name that was written in black ink on the silver cartridge, his hormones raged once more.

Silver Star...

Now he knew damn well that it wasn't her real name. She probably had an incredibly boring name in reality. But on the screen she was Silver Starr.

And when he looked down at the overly excited men, he smiled.

For they were about to get the show of their lives.


	5. Chapter 5

His lustful fantasies quenched (at least temporarily), Williams closed up the theatre and climbed into his car to go home.

It was almost 3am; still early by his standards, but he was exhausted.

Who ever thought that sitting in a projection booth watching beautiful women act out their fantasies on a flickering screen would make him so tired?

Not that he was complaining.

As he drove along Fort Street, he couldn't get her out of his mind; her perfect body, delicate features and body language that made him want her more than he thought it was possible to want a woman.

Before he knew it, he was pulling into the driveway of his house. It certainly wasn't the type of house he pictured himself living in. It was old; probably built in the 1930's and it definitely showed its' age.

It most certainly wasn't the sort of place he'd want the woman of his dreams to see.

And that included all the women of his dreams.

The mere thought made him shudder.

When he suddenly found himself in his driveway, he wearily got out of the car and walked into the house; haphazardly tossing his keys onto the coffee table.

He made a quick dinner, barely tasting the food, took a shower and then climbed into bed.

He looked around his bedroom which was filled with men's magazines of all kinds; magazines full of pictures that were sure to excite even the most timid man.

And timid he was not!

He crossed the room and grabbed a magazine off the shelf, turning to a random page. His heart beat wildly against his chest when he glanced at the fiery redhead. She smiled at him, sending his hormones into major overdrive.

Beads of sweat formed on his chest and his breathing was staggered. So much for his shower.

After staring at the ceiling for several minutes, he closed his eyes and smiled. For in his dreams, his fantasies were fulfilled as woman after woman took her turn with him; each of them providing a different pleasure.

But all of them producing the same results.

His eyes opened suddenly and he climbed out of bed, turning on the rickety fan that sat on his dresser. It hummed and rattled, blasting him with cold air; instantly cooling his sweaty skin.

Climbing into bed once more, he opened the magazine and turned to yet another page; this one featuring a leggy blonde who made Marilyn Monroe look like a Plain Jane.

Aroused once more, he relished the familiar feeling. And when he closed his eyes, the women returned one by one providing him with pleasure that made him happier than any man on earth.

And it was then that he fell into a deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

He woke much earlier than usual, having had the best sleep of his life. And as he drove back to work, he found himself whistling a ridiculous tune.

He was still whistling when he turned onto the street that led to his beloved theatre.

"Jesus, who shoved a songbird up your ass?" Arnold yelled when Williams walked through the double doors, still whistling the ridiculous song.

"Nice to see you're so bright and cheerful this morning." Williams said; the irritation heavy in his voice.

"Go to hell, Williams!" Arnold snapped. "I did what you asked, okay?"  
"Well that's a start!" Williams laughed. "So you finally got yourself a life?"

"Listen Williams, I can undo what I've done just as quickly as you can blink an eye and believe me, you'll be worse off than before! You saw the crowds last night! There's no way the two of us can handle those men! You'll be unemployed and living on the streets in no time!"

Tired of fighting with Arnold, Williams sighed. "All right, fine. What have you done? And it better be good!"

Arnold smiled slyly. "Oh, it's good all right. It's very good. And there's no doubt in my mind that she'd be very, very good!"

Williams' eyes narrowed in confusion. "Who are you talking about?"

"Sara Fitzgerald! The dame I hired to work in the ticket booth!"

Still not understanding, Williams leaned foreword. "And she'd be good..."

"In bed, you moron!" Arnold yelled. "Hell, a dame like that would be a welcome addition to my bed!"

Williams scoffed. "Right, Arnold. In your dreams!"

"Damn right in my dreams! You think Esmeralda provides me with that kind of satisfaction? Not a chance! You're a man, Williams! You of all people should understand!"

"Of course I understand!" Williams retorted. "But you're a married man!"

"Unfortunately. Geez, when I think of what I'm missing." Arnold replied.

"Look, why don't you go get the projection booth set up and I'll check out this Sara Fitzgerald?"

With a roll of his eyes, Williams watched Arnold storm across the theatre and upstairs to the projection booth.

When he was alone, Williams walked over to the ticket booth where he could see a figure moving in the window. Her back was to him; her red hair falling in waves that stopped just below her collar line.

She was completely engrossed in her work, oblivious to his presence. He'd never seen anyone so absorbed in their job before.

Fascinated, he walked around the ticket booth until he came to the employee entrance. Slowly he pulled the door open and walked inside, doing his best not to disturb her.

Unfortunately, as he took a step toward her, he lost his footing and landed hard on the floor, wincing when his head hit the wooden slats.

Sprawled out on the floor, he looked up, horrified when he heard her gasp in surprise. But when their eyes met, he could feel his heart beat faster and any pain he had experienced instantly disappeared.

For she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Sara asked, rushing to help Williams to his feet.

He stood up, surprised at the dizziness he felt. Squinting hard, he opened his eyes focusing on what was surely a figment of his imagination.  
But this was no figment.

Her arm was around him, guiding him to a nearby chair. He sat down, dismayed to find that the room was still spinning.

"Are you okay?" She asked again.

"Um... yes." He managed to say. "Thank you."

She smoothed back his spiky hair, causing a shiver to run through his body.

"Oh God, you're bleeding!" she said suddenly. "Hang on."

He watched as she hurried out of the booth, returning minutes later with the first aid kid.

Damn... he didn't even know they had a first aid kit!

"Here we go." She said, opening the white metal box. "Now just hold still and I'll fix that right up for you."

His breath was staggered as he watched her every move.

"I'm okay, really. You don't-."

Her hand went to his chest, gently pushing him back into the chair. At that moment, his desire for her was so great that he would have done anything to take her in his arms and kiss her, forgetting all about the injuries he'd sustained. But why rush things?

At the thought he blinked in surprise. Where in the hell had that come from?

Quick pleasure was the best kind and all he'd have to do is kiss her a few times. Minutes later her clothes would come off, then his and then-.

"There. All better?"

"What?"

Your forehead? It's all bandaged up and good as new. Or it will be in a few days."

His hand went to his forehead. "Oh..."

And then he felt her hand gently pushing her hand away. "Now, don't touch it. I'd hate for it to get infected. After all, you do have a theatre to run."

"Oh... right. Well... thank you..."

"Sara. I'm the new ticket girl."

"Right. Arnold told me that he hired you. But your duties don't include playing nursemaid to the boss."

"It was the least I could do. You have no idea how grateful I am to get this job. I mean, my family is having a really hard time financially and I just..."

When her voice broke, he leaned foreword watching her with concern.

"Sara?"

"I-I'm sorry. It's just..."

He went to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you."

She sniffled, smiling when he handed her a tissue. "You didn't. I'm just a little emotional about all of this. I'll get back to work right away, Mr..."

"Just call me Williams." He replied.

"All right, Mr. Williams."

He smiled at the formality. "Actually just Williams will be fine."

"Oh..."

"Well, I'll leave you to your duties."

"It was nice meeting you, Williams." Sara said, extending her hand.

"You too..."

"Oh, how stupid of me. I'm Sara Fitzgerald. Just moved here from Chicago. My father thought he'd have a better chance at finding work here but it turns out that it's just as bad here if not worse for welders. You'd think that people would want to hire experienced welders. There's always something that needs welding, don't you agree?"

He grinned, trying not to laugh at her innocence. Everyone knew that welders were being laid off in droves across the country. But he didn't want to upset her.

"Yes, I can't understand it either." He lied. "That's a very noble profession. Welders are hard workers."

His words brought a smile. "Thank you. I'll be sure and tell my father you said that. Although he won't be too happy knowing I'm working in a theatre."

Williams swallowed hard. "Um why?"

"Well, he wants me to be a secretary or some other 'dignified' profession. He thinks that sitting in a booth all day is a waste of time. But it's just movies, right? I mean everyone goes to them."

"O-Of course they do." He said, feeling his heart start to race. Clearly Arnold hadn't told her what kind of theatre she'd be working at.

"I just don't understand why there weren't any women at the last showing. "I mean, don't they deserve some entertainment as well?"

When he began to cough, Williams grabbed his chest and staggered around the room.

Sara was on her feet in an instant, rushing to help him.

"Oh my God!"

Within seconds she had managed to find him a bottle of warm Coke which he hurriedly opened and drank down in seconds, ignoring the gassy bubbles that filled his stomach.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He swallowed the last of his Coke and nodded. "Yes. Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak to Arnold. But call me if you need anything."

"Yes Boss! I-I mean Williams." She said with a grin.

He returned her smile and walked out of the booth, forgetting all about the discomfort in his chest. But his heart was still beating fast for other reasons...


	8. Chapter 8

Arriving home from yet another tiring night at the theatre, Williams tossed his coat haphazardly on a nearby chair and hurried into the bathroom; peeling his clothes off along the way.

After the night he'd had, he wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and let visions of voluptuous, leggy women consume his every thought.

It was only when he dried himself of and stared in the mirror at his naked, lanky body that he realized how tired he was. Usually thoughts of the woman who lay between the pages of his coveted men's magazines had him so aroused that there was no mistaking what was going through his mind.

Instead, when he looked into the mirror, the only thing he saw was limpness and lifelessness; clearly a sign that something was amiss. What man in their right mind wouldn't be turned on by a large-breasted woman with a waist so tiny that he could probably wrap his arms around her twice?

Come on Williams... concentrate!

Once more he forced himself to stare at the pictures; flipping through the pages. He was going to find a woman who excited him if it killed him!

But lying in bed an hour later, he was no closer to stimulation than he was when he'd started. Perhaps he just wasn't concentrating enough.

Oh, who in the hell was he kidding? He was concentrating like crazy! Damn, what was wrong with him tonight?

Frustrated, he turned out the light and stared into the darkness, trying desperately to fall asleep.

And when sleep finally came, he dreamt not of the beautiful models with milky white skin and perfect features...

But of the sweet, red haired girl in the ticket booth.


	9. Chapter 9

Whoa! What happened to you?" Arnold asked when Williams dragged himself into the Back Door Theatre.

What's that supposed to mean? Williams snapped.

"Well, usually it means that a person is concerned about your appearance but in this case it just means that you look like hell!"

Amused by his lame attempt at humor, Arnold laughed harshly; a sound that Williams was definitely not in the mood for.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Williams replied sarcastically.

"Sure, any time!"

"Jackass..." Williams grumbled.

"Hey, that's Mr. Jackass to you!" Arnold said. "I'm older than you and I deserve respect!"

Williams scoffed. "Yeah, you're older all right. Way too old to be a ticket taker!"

"Is that so?"

"Damn right, it's so!" Williams replied. "I've seen teenagers do a better job than you'll ever do!"

"Well maybe I'll just quit!" Arnold retorted.

"Ha! You'll never quit! Besides, where are you going to find a job as good as this one?"

"Believe me, Williams... If I look hard enough, I'll find one!"  
"Um... Mr. Williams?"

At the sweet voice, Williams looked up in surprise, and his heart warmed at the sight of Sara.

"Mr. Wiliams?" Arnold repeated with a smirk. "Hey look, Doll. It's just Williams! He ain't no shoe salesman!"

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Don't listen to him, Sara." Williams said, glaring at Arnold.

"H-Hi." She said shyly.

"Mr. Williams..." Arnold chuckled.

Is something wrong?" Sara asked.

"No, not at all." Williams said. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was just going to say... the movie's supposed to start soon and there's a huge line of customers waiting to get into the theatre, so you should probably..."

Williams blinked. "I'm sorry... What?"

Sara grinned and pointed to the projection room. "The movie?"  
"Oh... right. What about it?"

She laughed then; a sound that made his heart sing.

"Well I think you're going to have a lot of angry customers if the show doesn't start soon! Half of them have already asked for their money back."

Williams looked at his watch, horrified when he saw that it was already after 6. The movie should have started a half hour ago. At this rate, he'd go out of business!

"Oh damn! I can't believe I did that! I never forget to start the movie!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll just try to stall them."

"How are you going to do that? If these men don't get their daily fix of... Ahem... Well, if they don't get their movie, they get very cranky!"

Sara smiled and touched Williams' cheek; "Don't worry. I have a few tricks I can try." Then she smiled, causing Williams' face to turn a bright shade of pink. It was the first time a woman had ever made him blush without mentioning something sexual.

"Well... I guess I should... See you later, Sara."

"Bye!" She waved.

And when he disappeared into the projection room, he couldn't stop staring at her.


	10. Chapter 10

Just as he expected, he was greeted badly; by a sea of angry, sexually deprived men. Most of them were older than his father, but all of them were hurling objects and obscenities from every direction.

"All right, all right everybody just calm down!" Williams yelled, trying to be heard above the irate crowd. "I'm sorry for the delay, but the show will start in just a few minutes. And to make it up to you, we'll be showing a triple feature! So that's three incredibly desirable and sexy women for the price of one! And believe me that in itself is worth the price of admission!"

The crowd cheered wildly and instantly Williams regained his heroic status.

After basking in the familiar fame, he rushed into the projection booth and searched through the vast array of film reels, looking for the sexiest movie possible.

And finally he found it;

Unbridled Passion, staring Monique Marquette; the sexiest woman who ever graced the face of the earth. Her smile alone was enough to send him into a state of pure ecstasy. And the rest of her...

His hormones raged, picturing her naked; lying across his bed, beckoning him to make love to her.

Suddenly remembering what he was supposed to be doing, he assembled the film reel on the projector and started the movie, bypassing the required news reels.

The cheers and applause from the entirely male audience rose from the theatre below. When Monique appeared on the screen, the applause grew and he waited for the physical reaction from his body that was sure to follow.

But to his dismay-and complete surprise, he had no response whatsoever.

What in the hell was going on?

With a sigh he tried to concentrate on the movie. But just like the magazines the night before, the film did nothing to stimulate him.

And neither did the second or third movie.

Hours later, exhausted and extremely frustrated, Williams turned off the film reel wondering why God would play such a cruel joke on him.

Perhaps this was payback for all of those impure thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Williams arrived for work feeling the effects of the most unimaginable hangover.

Only he wasn't drunk.

Since the triple feature fiasco (as he'd affectionately named it), he'd sunk lower than he'd thought possible.

Night after sleepless night turned into long, unbearable days and try as he might he couldn't get the beautiful redhead out of his mind. With so many film reels of incredibly sensual and arousing women, he couldn't begin to understand why they no longer turned him on.

Perhaps a visit to Broadway Babes was in order.

He made a mental note to stop by after work. And if things went well, he knew he wouldn't be coming home until late the next morning.

Amazingly the erotic thought did wonders for his libido.

Feeling like himself again, he walked proudly into the theatre, extending warm greetings to his employees.

"Morning, Arnold."

Arnold scoffed. "Like hell it is! Got into a fight with the wife again. Over pancakes! Can you believe that bull-."

"Shhh! Shut up, Arnold! There's a lady present!" Williams said pointing to Sara who was hard at work setting up the ticket booth.

Arnold's eyes widened at Williams' words... and Williams could hardly believe that he'd said them himself.

To Williams' embarrassment, he looked up to find Sara smiling at him. Was it just his imagination or did her red hair seem a little brighter today? It was almost as though she'd spun strands of gold into it, making her appear even more beautiful.

He had the strangest urge then... not to take her to bed but to run his fingers through her hair, which surely would feel like silk beneath his fingertips.

Suddenly the desire to touch her became so great that he forced himself to clinch his fists.

"Hey Mr. Williams." She said with a smile.

Damn... Even her voice sounded like silk!

"G-Good morning." He replied, his voice unrecognizable.

"How are you?"

"Me?"

Sara laughed. "Well yeah... I'm talking to you aren't I?"

"Oh... right." Williams laughed, nervously running his hands together. "I-I'm fine."

"Like hell you're fine!" Arnold snapped. "What's with you, anyway? Didn't get any this morning?"

Williams' face grew hot with humiliation and he couldn't' bring himself to look at Sara.

Damn... was he really blushing? It had been so long since that had happened, that he'd forgotten what it felt like.

"Arnold, isn't there something you need to be doing?"

Arnold leaned against the counter and propped his hand under his chin.

"Nope. I'm enjoying this immensely!"

"Yeah? Well I gotta whole projection room full of films that could use re-shelving and-."

The phone rang, startling them to silence. "Or here's an interesting thought..." Williams continued. "... You can answer the phone! Because the last time I checked, you were still employed here!"

"Smartass." Arnold said as he picked up the phone.

"Back Ally Theatre. Arnold speakin... Who? There ain't nobody here by that name! What's that? Oh... Well why didn't you say so in the first place? Hang on."

"Phone for you." He said thrusting the phone in Williams' direction.

"Thanks. I'll just take it in my office and-."

"Not you, Williams! Her!"

Sara looked up sharply. "Me? Are you sure?"

"There ain't any other dames here, are there?" Arnold snapped.

Sara sighed. "No, I guess not. Unless you count-."

"Um... never mind, Sara." Williams said. "Just ignore Arnold. He can be a real jerk. You can take the call in my office."

"Thanks."

Sarah walked past him; her sleeve brushing against him ever so slightly. But it only took the faintest touch from her to pleasure him... even if it was a very slight pleasure.


	12. Chapter 12

When Sara went into his office to take the phone call, Williams closed the door of the ticket booth and turned to Arnold with irritation.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Arnold feigned surprise. "Me? Nuthin! Why?"

"Because you're being a damn jackass! She doesn't need your damn attitude and neither do I!"

Arnold threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, have it your way!"

"Look, I need to get some work done, so why don't you... count the money in the registers or something?"

Arnold eyed Williams suspiciously. "We ain't even open yet! How am I supposed to...? Oh, now I know! You're tryin' to get rid of me!"

"You've got that right!" Williams replied, smiling when Arnold walked off in a huff. Finally he could get some peace and quiet.

Glancing around the ticket booth, he was grateful to have a few minutes to relax.

And nothing relaxed him more than a hot and sexy centerfold like Cindy Macombi.

Saying a prayer of thanks to God that he'd hidden the March issue of Pleasures men's magazine on the bookshelf, he flipped through the worn pages until he found the centerfold.

He could feel his body heat rising when he unfolded the pages, revealing a woman so perfect; it was as though she was created just for him.

Thank you God...

Her porcelain skin, voluptuous lips, breasts, shoulders, flat stomach, and those lusciously long legs...

Finally...

Now this was the excitement he'd been missing.

He was almost to the point of total satisfaction, when the door opened suddenly.

Startled beyond belief, he nearly jumped out of his skin; the pleasure he'd experienced mere seconds before quickly disappearing.

"Damn it, Arnold! I told you not to scare me like-."

"Oh... Hi Sara."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She said.

"That's all right. I was just-."

Suddenly embarrassed, he looked at the magazine he held in his hand, and then put it away. "I'll get out of here and let you get back to work."

"I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I-I have to leave."

"Leave? Why?"

"Well, the phone call-."

Williams smiled and turned on his charm. "Let me guess... A handsome man was calling you for a date? Well, forgive me if this is a bit inappropriate, since I'm your boss and all but I can't say that I blame him. You're... quite attractive..."

Her mouth fell open in surprise.

"Um...And a hard worker." He added quickly, hoping she would blush.

Instead, the surprised look gave way to an expression he couldn't read.

Seconds later her lower lip began to tremble and she collapsed in his arms, dampening his shirt with tears.


	13. Chapter 13

Thoroughly confused, he rubbed her back; his fingers entangled in her hair. He felt as though he'd been transported into a Heaven all his own. And the scent of her lilac shampoo sent his hormones raging. Suddenly he wanted her more than he'd wanted anyone.

But clearly she wasn't going to return any advances he dare make.

Instead she clung to him; her body trembling against his. He'd never seen someone in so much pain-and it scared the holy hell out of him.

He tried to let go, but each effort caused her to cling to him even more.

"Sara, what's wrong? What happened?"

But she cried even harder.

Suddenly he caught a glimpse of Arnold, who smiled and nodded. But it wasn't a friendly smile by any means. And it made Williams furious.

God damn it, Arnold...

"Come on Sara... Let's... go somewhere that we can be alone."

She nodded tearfully.

Keeping an arm around her for support, he led her into his office and closed the blinds.

"I'm sorry about him. I swear that guy has no respect for anyone whatsoever." Williams said.

"I-it's all right. I didn't mean to make a scene. Maybe I should just go back to work."

She rose from the chair and tried to head for the door, but Williams stopped her.

"Hey, don't leave... Please?"

She sighed and nodded toward the booth. "But what about the movie? A-and the men? They-."

"Don't worry about a thing. Arnold will take care of it. He needs to do some work around here once in a while anyway."

He smiled at his joke, but Sara's sad expression remained... breaking his heart.

He reached out and brushed a fallen lock of hair from her forehead. "Hey... What's wrong?"

She bit back a sob, her fingers trembling over her mouth.

"It's all right." He whispered. "You can tell me."

Her breath was staggered. "That was my mother on the phone and she-."

Williams took her hand, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"What happened?"

Again she sniffled; the tears running down her cheeks. When she looked away, he rubbed her back. "It's okay." He whispered again

And finally she spoke...

"M-my father died."


	14. Chapter 14

Williams felt as though he'd had the wind knocked out of him; for he never expected this.

And suddenly he was terrified.

He didn't know how to comfort someone! To him, women were an obsession; a way to pass the time until someone better came along.

And someone always came along; their only requirement being to satisfy him sexually.

But Sara was different. And as he looked into her eyes, the pain he saw there physically hurt him.

Her expression begged him to say something but he had no idea what to say.

So he said the only thing he could think of;

"I'm so sorry, Sara."

God that was so pathetic! I'm sorry was something people said to sound polite, but Sara deserved so much more than I'm sorry.

Feeling helpless, he took her in his arms where she cried for a long time, and he didn't dare let go.

Nor did he want to.

His fingers stroked her silky hair, causing the scent of lilac to fill his scenes once more. After what seemed like an eternity, she drew back and he found himself shivering from the sudden loss of warmth.

Tenderly, he rubbed her back.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't... I'm not sure what to say except that I can't stand to see you hurting like this. God, I can't even imagine what you must be going through. I never met your father but from what you've told me about him, he loved you and your mom an awful lot."

She offered him the tiniest smile and looked into his eyes.

"You really think so?"

"I do. He worked hard to provide for you and your mother and I can see the way your face lights up when you talk about him."

"I loved him so much!" She said; her voice breaking as she dissolved into tears once more.

"Oh, Williams!"

"Come here."

She seemed to collapse into his arms as he held her tighter than before. When she was calm, he gently drew back.

"Why don't I drive you home?"

"But what about-."

"The movie?" Williams shook his head. "I don't care about that. All I care about is you."

It was several seconds after he'd spoken that he realized what he'd said. And he was surprised at how much he meant them.

Seeing her so distraught sparked something in him and he realized that he cared for Sara more than he ever imagined. He stared into her tear-filled eyes and slowly closed the distance between them.

His face moved closer and closer to hers until they were just inches apart. Their lips touched in a feather light kiss that instantly deepened into something he'd only dreamed about.

But this was no dream. It was real and when he slid his arms around her shoulders; his fingers massaging her neck, he knew he'd made a terrible mistake


	15. Chapter 15

He drew back, horrified at what he had done. She was hurting and he'd responded the way he would have had she been another meaningless woman.

But this was no ordinary woman. This was Sara.

Daringly he looked into her tear filled eyes.

"Sara, I'm sorry, I-."

To his surprise, she sprawled her fingers through his hair and kissed him again; a slow, sensuous kiss that put all others to shame. And when the kiss ended, he drew back in amazement when he realized that he was completely breathless.

"Oh my God..." He said, shoving his hand through his hair. "That was..." he stopped, knowing that there were simply no words in the English language to describe what he had just experienced and how it made him feel.

And she barely gave him any time to contemplate his feelings when her lips returned to his... demanding and urgent.

"Um... Sara?"

His voice came out in a squeak and he could hardly believe that it was his. He saw her mouth curve into a smile and he should have been grateful, but all he could think of was how wrong this was.

She didn't deserve him. She deserved someone who respected women. Not some horny guy who made his living lusting after women and bedding them for pleasure.

But it was the only life he knew.

For as long as he could remember, he'd desired and longed for a woman's touch. Now he found that the feeling was fading. How in the hell was he supposed to change his ways? And what if he didn't want to? But Sara had done something to him that no other woman had ever done before-made him feel compassion.

And he was scared as hell.

He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard.

"I-I think that maybe I should take you home now. Y-your mother is probably wondering-."

"No-." She said, vehemently shaking her head. "I-I don't want to go home! I can't!"

He could see the fear in her eyes-fear he was all too familiar with.

Of course she didn't want to go home. He could just imagine how he would feel walking into a house filled with memories of a man he loved, knowing that he'd never see him again. But then he pictured her mother, alone and grieving for her husband, worrying about her little girl.

"Sara-."

"Please don't make me go home, Williams!" She cried. "Please! I can't!"

He stroked her silky hair and brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"All right. You can stay here if you want. And-um... I'll stay with you."

The sheer absurdity of what he was saying surprised him. But he wasn't about to leave her alone. He'd much rather take her home where she could be with her mother. It was the only right thing to do. But when he looked into her eyes, he knew that by going against her wishes he'd be hurting her even more.

He looked around the room uneasily. "I don't know where-."

"N-no."

He turned to her in surprise.

"No? No what?"

"I-I don't want to stay here."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"All right. Well then I'll just take you home and-."

"I can't go home..."

He stared at her in confusion, not knowing what to say. "If that's what you want, but-."

"Take me home, Williams. Your home."

He could feel his heart pounding and he was sure she could hear it.

"You're sure that's what you want?"

She nodded as the tears began to fall once more.

"O-okay. Just let me tell Arnold that we're leaving."

When he saw the fear in her eyes, he lightly touched her cheek.

"Sara, everything will be all right. I promise."

Taking one last glance at her, he ran to find Arnold, wondering why he was even bothering to tell his idiotic employee anything.

Just as he reached the next room, he spotted Arnold and suddenly felt a tinge of anger.

The hell with him! Arnold had been nothing but a pain in the ass.

Taking Sara's hand, he led her out of the theatre and into the quiet of the star-filled night.


	16. Chapter 16

Perhaps it was the precious cargo that sat next to him in the passenger seat.

Each time the light turned from green to yellow, he eased his foot onto the break pedal, pressing gently in an effort to prevent the car from jerking foreword.

Usually the abrupt motion brought a giggle from whatever woman was with him, but he was sure it had to do with her anticipation of the adventurous night that lay ahead.

After all the simple act of being thrown foreword in his car was nothing compared to the wild ride he showed them beneath the sheets.

He almost grinned at the memory.

But then another memory surfaced; one that had occurred just moments before in the closed door of the tiny ticket booth. It was the memory of holding Sara in his arms while she cried for the loss of the most important man in her life.

And suddenly he was calm again; the images of past sexual experiences with meaningless women simply vanished.

As they turned onto his street, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind. His house was hardly a mansion. What on earth would she think of it? Of him?

He thought of the chaotic state in which he had left it... The magazines strewn around his bedroom and suddenly he was apprehensive. Rarely did people pay him a casual visit and when they did it was usually people who knew him well. Those who knew that one night stands were his signature. And the women who came over only had one thing on their minds; a wild night of passionate, meaningless sex.

But when he glanced at the beautiful woman at his side, he knew that sex was the furthest thing from her mind. She stared out the window; her quiet sobs breaking his heart. He wanted so much to take her pain away but he didn't know how in the hell to do it. Sure he'd done his best to comfort her but he'd done a crappy job of it, despite her gratefulness.

Carefully he pulled into the driveway and in an attempt to appear gentlemanly, helped her out of the car.

A ridiculous sense of apprehension came over him as she stared at his house, no doubt wondering why a jerk like him lived in such a dumpy house.

He led her side, scared as hell and feeling as though he were playing host to the Pope instead of a beautiful frightened and lonely woman.

"This is a great house."

The statement surprised him and for a moment he had no idea what to say.

"Thanks." He replied. "Would you like a glass of...?"

He looked around suddenly noticing that she was nowhere to be found.

"Sara?"

Slowly he crept through the house and stopped abruptly. A slight panic came over him when he saw her enter his room. He thought of the magazines- the ones he heavily relied on to arouse him-that lay strewn across the floor. The bed... And then he thought of the posters of sexy, voluptuous woman that wore nothing more than a seductive smile.

How could he possibly explain?


	17. Chapter 17

"Williams?"

His mouth went dry and he made a beeline for his room, hoping like hell he could think of the right words... although there weren't any. As he watched Sara surveying the room, he saw her mouth curve into a smile.

"Wow... great room! But I guess it's only natural since it's in such a great house, right?"

He laughed nervously; a sound that was unfamiliar to him.

"Right..."

She turned to him and for some stupid reason he felt compelled to explain his choice of décor.

"Sara? About m-my room. Th-the magazines... Th-the posters..."  
She smiled surprising him once more.

"You really take your work seriously don't you?"

"What?"

"Well I mean... walking in your room was like walking into the theater and watching one of those movies. N-not that I have of course. "

Another nervous laugh. "I know... And it's okay. But Sara-."

She smiled and gently touched his arm.

"Don't worry. I won't tell a soul."

He let out a breath that he didn't even know he'd been holding.

"T-thank you."

Thank you? Where in the hell had that come from? Had he gone completely insane?

Sara's eyes surveyed the room and she crossed to the dresser where a dozen family photos hung. And it was then that he realized that the pictures and magazines of sexy women were the last thing he needed to worry about.

Sara picked up a large picture frame, gazing at the smiling faces. It was a photo of Williams and his parents, taken when he'd first entered St. Basil's. The thought of how naive he'd been back then made him cringe.

"Those are my-."

To his horror she began to sob and seconds later he rushed toward her and engulfed her in his arms. As he'd done at the theatre, he gently rubbed her back, holding her as close as possible in an effort to calm her.

Damn... He should have known that the picture of his father would upset her. What in the hell was he thinking worrying about those magazines and pictures of women when the very thing he took for granted was causing her so much pain?

"I'm so sorry, Sara." He whispered into her hair, wishing he'd learned to be more compassionate.

An image came to him then... The image of a young Michael Dunn as he held Danni who sobbed in his arms when their beloved malt shop had been shut down all those years ago. He wanted so much to be like his friend. Instead he'd gone from being a sex crazed teenager to an even more sex crazed man who had no idea what it was like to feel genuine love for anyone.

He turned to face Sara and stared deeply into her eyes as he brushed the tears from her cheeks. She was so incredibly beautiful. And before he could stop himself his mouth descended on hers. His arms went around her, his hands massaging her neck, her back; his fingers sprawling through her silky hair. Without reserve he kissed her deeply, sighing with heated pleasure when she deepened the kiss again and again. Her fingers ran through his short spiked hair, sending tingling waves throughout his body; a feeling he hadn't known had existed.

"Sara..." He breathed against her lips, knowing he should stop. "I'm so sorry."

"I want you." She whispered hoarsely as she kissed his mouth, his jaw, his neck.

"What?"

"Make love to me, Williams..."


	18. Chapter 18

He was so stunned that he released his hold on her, unable to fathom what he was hearing.

It was true that countless women had uttered those words to him again and again and he'd never hesitated to fulfill their desires; for he wanted nothing more than to please them in a way that no one had before.

But this... hearing Sara speak those words was beyond anything he could have ever expected-or imagined.

And it scared the hell out of him.

His mouth went completely dry and he had to force himself to speak.

"Sara-."

She grabbed his shoulder in a gentle but desperate grip.

"Williams... I-I know you're my boss and all and... This is wrong... so wrong. I-I just...

Everything hurts! I feel so... lonely and unloved."

His hand reached out to caress her tear-stained cheek.

"Sara, no... Of course you're loved. How could you even think-."

"Then why is my father gone, Williams?" She sobbed. "Why? If I'd only-."

He stopped her with a kiss. "It wasn't your fault."

"But-but I-."

Again he kissed her; a gentle kiss to calm her but it quickly grew into something more. His lips caressed hers with a hunger that he never knew existed and his resistance slowly faded away.

Their clothes came off in rapid succession and when their naked bodies made contact for the first time, it was all he could do not to give into her completely. He kissed every curve and crevice of her body, and with each touch of her lips on his skin he felt his desire for her grow. His hands caressed her bare back, trailing down to the firm curve of her hips and butt.

He pulled her closer to him, allowing him to slowly move toward her until they melded together. Still kissing and exploring each other's bodies, he eased her down onto the bed.

Instead of entering her urgently, he took his time, moving against her until he felt her response. A small gasp escaped and he slowed his pace even more.

"Am I hurting you?" He whispered against her mouth.

"No..." She breathed, letting him know that she wanted more... much more. She arched her back, allowing him full view of her perfect breasts. His hand trembled as he touched her silky smoothness and when he slowly moved against her, they found a rhythm that seemed to coincide with the beating of their hearts.

His hand trailed over her breasts and she moaned with pleasure. She was trying desperately to please him, saying his name with such emotion that he increased their rhythm surprised when she followed suit.

Their moments became faster, more intense, and he was stunned to find that he was having trouble keeping up. But each time he felt he was losing his grip, she brought him back to reality. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that she was one of his regulars.

But he knew the real reason for her spectacular performance... Deep, unimaginable pain that consumed her body and soul like nothing else; the urgency and need to release her pain and he was more than happy to oblige, no matter how unethical it was.

Their kisses deepened and his fingers tightened their grip on her body, pulling her closer and closer as though he could feel her soul.

Finally in a climactic moment, they both cried out before collapsing in satisfaction.

It was truly the greatest performance of his life.


	19. Chapter 19

Her bodies flush against each other; she slept soundly in his arms.

Once again, the brothers at St. Basils were wrong... Sex and lust may have been considered a sin, but this was neither of those. What he and Sara had shared was far beyond sex.

For the first time in his life he had made love. And it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever done.

The brothers at St Basils always talked about the divine Heavens and what a reward it would be to finally get there. But Williams had already arrived.

For this was Heaven in ten-fold.

Hours later, his eyes opened and he squinted at the early morning light. Sara lay beside him, her red hair splayed across the pillow. She looked so beautiful he couldn't breathe for wanting her.

As carefully as possible, he climbed out of bed and grabbed his robe, cinching the belt around him. He padded into the kitchen returning minutes later with a tray filled with what others might call and extremely lame attempt to produce a gourmet breakfast.

When he returned to his bedroom, the sight of her took his breath away. She was stunningly beautiful.

Unable to resist her, he carefully sat the tray on his dresser and sat down on the bed next to her.

She lay on the bed, her bare back exposed; the sheet barely covering her hips. He leaned over and trailed kissed her shoulders, making his way to the hollow of her back. Finally she began to stair and her eyes fluttered open. Then at the sight of him she smiled, warming his heart.

"Good morning."

She greeted him with a scorching kiss that sent him over the edge. Hastily he untied the belt of his robe and was about to let it fall from his body until he was interrupted.

"What's that?"

He stood and handed her the tray. "I made you breakfast."

She put her hands over her mouth and stared at the tray.

"For me?"

"You look surprised."

And to his horror, she began to cry.

"Oh Sweetheart, I didn't mean to upset you."

"Y-You didn't. I just-."

"What?"

"I never thought I could love someone this much."

It took him several seconds to realize what she had said. And when the words finally sunk in, he felt tears spring to his eyes. At that moment, a rush of emotion filled him.

He stared deeply into her eyes, no longer able to deny what he was feeling.

"What's wrong?"

"Um... Nothing."

The nervousness in his voice surprised him.

"Williams..."

"I..."

"What is it?"

"I love you, Sara."

"You do?"

He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard. "Yes."

The confession made her smile and she kissed him deeply.

"Williams, would you do something for me?"

He grasped her hands tightly in his and brought them to his lips for a kiss.

"Anything Sara, anything at all. Just name it."

A shy smile formed on her lips.

"Make love to me again?"

His robe fell away and he pulled the sheets back, allowing him a full view of her beautiful body. Gently he eased himself onto her waiting form and kissed her tenderly.

She was still so vulnerable, but she trusted him. And to him that meant the world. Her pain wasn't going to go away over night but he would be there to help her through it.

"With pleasure." He said in answer to her question. "I love you, Sara."

"I love you too." She said in a breathless tone that had his body wanting more and more.

Nothing mattered then, not his magazines or his thriving movie theatre.

They began their lovemaking once more, slower, deeper and he knew that he'd never been happier.

And he owed it all to the girl in the ticket booth.

THE END


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